The Institute through the ages

1831 - Founded as a higher vocational school

The school was initially located centrally, in Bornemann's House, and had the fields of study: Mathematics, Geometry, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Natural History, Physics, Chemistry, Technology, Drawing, Bossing and Bookkeeping. There were 64 enrolled students. The director was 28-year-old Karl Karmarsch from Vienna.

1879 - Elevation to the Royal Technical University and move to the Welfenschloss (Guelph Castle)

By constitutional reform in 1879 the name Technical University and a division into 5 departments were introduced: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry and Electrical Engineering, and General Sciences.

1900 - division into Faculty of Civil Engineering and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

In the 19th century, engineering mechanics had been developed from structural and machine dynamics and analytical mechanics and was assigned to the Faculty of General Sciences. In 1900, this field was divided into two chairs, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

1922 - Establishment of a Mechanical Engineering Department in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

1922 Establishment of a mechanical engineering department in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering consisting of:

  • Engineering thermodynamics, internal combustion engines, refrigerating machines
  • Engineering mechanics and aerodynamics
  • Strength of materials and machine elements
  • Hydroelectric machines (Oesterlen since 1913)
  • Steam engines (K. Röder from 1926)
  • Hoists, lifting equipment and pumps
  • Railroad machinery and operation Railway machinery and operation
  • Mechanical technology, metallography, pulp technology
  • Agricultural machinery
  • Machine tools, manufacturing, factory organization

2019 - Relocation to Garbsen

In 2019, the Institute of Turbomaachinery and Fluid Dynamics - TFD moved to the new campus of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The approximately 20,750 square meter area houses three institute buildings for twelve institutes, the research building Dynamics of Energy Conversion, a lecture hall building, a refectory, a house for students with seminar rooms and workrooms, and a technical building. Across from the new building, seven mechanical engineering institutes have been located since 2004 as the Production Technology Center (PZH).

To enable students to learn and researchers to experiment on what was once a greenfield site, workers had to move and excavate in advance: 25,000 cubic meters of soil, 6,650 vibro-tamping columns were set to stabilize the building ground, 4,500 tons of steel, 23,600 cubic meters of concrete, 2,100 precast concrete parts, 80,000 square meters of plasterboard, 3,000 square meters of cement board were installed, 1,000 kilometers of cable were laid in cable trays, and 1,800 windows and 550 doors were inserted.

Bornemann house
Guelph Castle (Welfenschloss)
Institute Building - Appelstraße
© Michael Gaßner, Atmo-TV
Campus Mechanical Engineering Garbsen